Shafaqna English- “Reflections on the Ashura movement” is a book written by “Rasul Jafarian” in Persian, published by Ansarian Publication. Shafaqna English has translated some sections of this book.
Three Types of Approaches to Islam After the Prophet’s (PBUH) Passing
The manner of approaching Islam in the three historical periods after the Prophet’s (PBUH) passing has been different:
A. A Pragmatic and at Least Uninformed or Interpretive Approach
This was common before the reign of Uthman. It refers to the middle era of Quraysh, which had various political and social considerations and viewed religion through a pragmatic and at times innovative perspectives. It was precisely this kind of expediency that turned the path of Wilayah (Divinely-Guided Leadership) into that of Khilafah (Caliphate).
B. An Opportunistic Approach and Aristocratic Interpretation of Religion
This is the same interpretation the Quran warns against in Surah Abasa opposes in the Verse of Kanz (hoarding), and condemns in the stories of the prophets. From the later period of Uthman’s reign onward, such aristocratic interpretations of religion began to seem normal and justifiable to the Umayyads and even to many Companions.
Claims such as “The public treasury (Baytul-Maal) belongs to the Caliph, because it is the property of God, and the Caliph is the representative of God!” or the argument that the “waw” in the verse of Kanz is not actually part of the verse — and the dispute between Abudharr and Uthman or Muawiyah’s green palace in Damascus (built under the pretext of Islam’s grandeur) — are all manifestations of the growth of this aristocratic view of Islam.
Imam Ali’s (AS) statement that religion had become “a captive in the hands of the wicked, used according to their desires and for worldly gain” — “Indeed, is a direct critique of this very approach. Forgetting the Prophet’s (PBUH) practical conduct in politics and daily life was a consequence of the dominance of this mentality.
C. The Devotional Approach of Imam Ali (AS) Toward the Quran and Sunnah
This is what we refer to as the Ahlul-Bayt (AS) approach — a movement that views Islam through the lens of Islam itself and its original sources: the Quran and Sunnah, without expediency or innovation. Imam Ali’s (AS) deep loyalty to the Quran and Prophetic tradition is clearly reflected in Nahjul-Balaghah.
His opposition to innovations and the pragmatism of those who believed Islam was incomplete and needed completion shows his clear and principled stance. His personal commitment to the Prophet’s lifestyle, his simplicity, and his efforts to preserve and protect the Quran and Hadith all reflect this view among Imam Ali (AS) and the Ahlul-Bayt (AS).
To justify these differing approaches — and as a consequence of them — one can point to the emergence of religious doubts and ambiguities. It came to the point that even the Quran was nearly compromised. The presence of confusion about the correct understanding of religion laid the groundwork for division and strife in the community, and this indeed happened.
One of the effects of these doubts was that the lines between believer, disbeliever, transgressor, and hypocrite became blurred. On the one hand, merely reciting the Shahadatayn (the declaration of faith) was considered enough to be counted a Muslim; on the other hand, many of those same Muslims engaged in opportunism, hypocrisy, immorality, and even rebellion. Worse still, sometimes people fought against religion in the name of religion.
Part of the Book Reflections on the Ashura movement by Rasul Jafarian